Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Swan Song?

    By
    eWEEK EDITORS
    -
    May 14, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Attending the recent conference sponsored by the Universal Wireless Communications Consortium, which supports the Time Division Multiple Access technology used by operators such as AT&T Wireless and Cingular Wireless, was like sitting death watch for the standard. But not a tear was shed.

      As in past years, this UWCC conference lacked substance. I suspect that, like me, at least a few other attendees went just to witness the demise of a standard and a big announcement from Cingular that didnt happen.

      I expected Cingular to reveal plans to follow in the footsteps of AT&T Wireless and convert to the global system for mobile communication most used in Europe and from there, move on to third-generation standards. I wasnt alone. “We trust that in the future Cingular will join,” said Robert Conway, CEO of the GSM Association. But Cingular remained mum, only saying it intends to implement Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE).

      TDMAs heyday is clearly past. Only two operators, AT&T Wireless and Cingular, spoke at the conference, though many Latin American operators use TDMA.

      Such is the fate of a technology abandoned by its marquee supporter. Before AT&T Wireless said it would migrate to GSM, it and most other TDMA players planned to move to EDGE as their final third-generation networks. EDGE offers 384 kilobit-per-second data rates, which means it officially qualifies as 3G but falls short of other next-generation networks.

      Some believe that AT&T Wireless got a great deal on GSM gear, because it claims that it can implement 3G via GSM — which includes installing GSM, General Packet Radio Service, EDGE and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System — for the same price as the move from TDMA to EDGE. By moving away from TDMA, AT&T Wireless can benefit from worldwide economies of scale in infrastructure and handsets.

      If Cingular doesnt choose GSM it will head down an expensive route. It may be one of a few operators hoping to migrate from TDMA to EDGE without the GSM step, making gear expensive and limiting the variety of handsets.

      Avatar
      eWEEK EDITORS

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×